In 2019, Capcom released the highly-anticipated remake of Resident Evil 2, which has been in development for nearly four years before launching PC and consoles. Of course, it is no secret now that the Resident Evil 2 Remake is a smashing success for Capcom. Shortly after its release, players and critics immediately praised the game, and it even went on to move more copies than the original game.
But why is Resident Evil 2 Remake so popular? Of course, apart from the nostalgic factor contributing to its success, the 2019 reimagining of Resident Evil 2 also did everything right from remaining faithful to the original game and introducing changes that made it better. Now, here’s a look as to how Capcom set the bar high for succeeding RE games with Resident Evil 2 Remake and how Capcom can recreate its success in future installments.
One important thing that the Resident Evil 2 Remake executed perfectly is retelling the original game’s story. Players who have played the 1998 classic game would easily recognize what is going on in the remake. Still, it is important to note for those who haven’t played both titles that the 2019 reimagining is not a shot-for-shot recreation of the original. Some storylines were altered, other events took place earlier or later than the original. But what’s important is that Capcom was able to recapture the essence of Resident Evil 2 that brought nostalgia to fans and introduce the story of Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield to a whole new generation of Resident Evil fans.
Apart from the storyline, Capcom was also able to remain faithful to the game’s characters’ personalities. Similar to the original, Leon was brave and optimistic, but inexperienced. Claire is still the badass sister to Chris Redfield, and despite being a civilian, is still capable of taking care of herself. The same goes for the game’s other characters such as Ada Wong and Chief Irons.
As previously mentioned, Capcom did not do a shot-for-shot remake of Resident Evil 2. Despite being faithful to the original, the studio incorporated some changes that transformed the 1998 classic to a modern game that fits today’s standards. One good example of a major change in Resident Evil 2 remake is the use of a third person, over-the-shoulder perspective instead of the classic fixed-camera angle that the series is known for. Of course, this major change remains a point of debate among Resident Evil fans, but Capcom revealed that the reason why the adopted a different perspective is to make the game more appealing to modern gamers.
Resident Evil 2’s primary antagonist, Mr. X, also received a major overhaul in the remake. Of course, veteran Resident Evil players would know too well that Mr. X was already terrifying in the original game. However, the remake made him even more terrifying, given that his appearances in the police station are mostly not scripted, allowing him to surprise the player at any moment. Capcom also made Mr. X sensitive to noises, which is why players are forced to take a slower approach as they traverse the station in order to avoid an encounter with the tyrant.
So will Capcom be able to replicate Resident Evil 2 Remake’s success in future RE games? The answer to that question varies on which kind of future games one is talking about given that upcoming installments in the series have taken a different approach from the classic Resident Evil games. As an example, Resident Evil 8 is more in line with the vibe that its predecessor began, which takes horror to a whole new level with the introduction of the first-person perspective. However, the other kind of Resident Evil games that Capcom could apply the Resident Evil 2 formula is with its upcoming remakes.
At the moment, Capcom still hasn’t confirmed which Resident Evil game would be reimagined next. However, it’s all but confirmed to be Resident Evil 4, which is the perfect game for the studio to implement Resident Evil 2 Remake’s success. Similar to RE2, RE4 is one of the more popular entries in the franchise, one important thing it should have to remain successful is for the remake to remain faithful to the original game. However, several changes should also be made in order to improve the overall experience in Resident Evil 4, such as tweaking the character of Ashley to be less annoying than her depiction in the original game.
Having said that, Resident Evil fans should expect better things for future Resident Evil Remakes. By now, Capcom should already have a good feel on which elements work best to capture the nostalgic feel of its remakes while implementing necessary changes that would help modernize it and introduce it to a new generation of fans.
Resident Evil 2 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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